Sectional container with a detachable base and lid cover
A sectional liquid dispensing (lotions, creams, soaps, cleansers, etc.) container that includes a finger actuated pump assembly which extends a dip tube near the bottom of a container. The container has three individual components to form the complete assembly. The upper section of container has been designed to contain a tamper evident closure member; mold incorporated at its lower most edge. The lower section (base); containing a closure member mold incorporated onto its top edge, is designed to snap fit into upper section of container. The lower section is approximately one third the height of container or less. The lid cover snaps onto the bottom surface of the lower section, using the tamper evident closure member. The usage of these closures provide frangible edges for easy removal of locking tear bands; which allow for separation of components, while also providing evidence of any product tampering. When finger pump assembly fails to dispense the remaining liquids in the container; the bottom half of container is then detached to access liquids. The upper half of container and pump assembly can then be discarded. A lid cover is provided to protect remaining liquids from contamination and excess drying. The lid cover is designed to snap-fit onto the bottom edge and underneath the containers lower section. The present design provides for dual dispensing (two individual products) from one container when upper section has been modified into a separate enclosure. The usage of dual finger actuated pumps may be used. The sectional container allows consumers to regain usage of those liquids or creams otherwise lost.
This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/281,092, filed Nov. 12, 2009 by the present inventor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to leak proof plastic containers or bottles; which are used to dispense healthcare lotions and creams. In particular, containers or bottles, which are capable of being separated into two individual sections.
2. Brief Discussion of the Related Art
Plastic containers come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Containers of this type are usually made of such plastics as PET (Polyethylene Terphthalate), PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), or HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) and manufactured using blow or injection molding techniques. Lotions, creams, and body soap dispenser containers are generally molded with a neck at the top of a container; which receives a finger actuated pump assembly, to dispense liquid contents. Most lotion containers have a single unit for storing liquids and are disposable once pump assembly is no longer capable of dispensing its contents.
One problem with the existing containers is that they allow a portion of the liquids to remain in the containers after their primary means of dispensing is exhausted; therefore, a large amount of the product is eventually thrown away. Manufacturers have designed other containers, (i.e. squeeze tubes and inverted tubes) in an effort to make consumers think that these products allow them to use all the liquids within its container. However, in most cases, liquids remain within these containers regardless of consumer efforts at retrieving them.
The present container has an upper section and a lower section (base) assembled together by means of a tamper evident closure assembly which; as assembled, constitute the sectional container. Upon separation into its individual sections, said container provides consumers access to the remaining liquids. Additionally, attached to the bottom of lower section (base) is a lid cover that is used to protect those liquids that remain in the lower section (base). Said lid cover is initially attached to the base by compression fitting said tamper evident closure lid onto beads molded onto the periphery of the lower section (base).
The separation of the upper section is made possible by removing the frangible band that locks it onto the lower section (base). Similar, prior tamper evident closure caps have performed the basic function of providing only secure capping of container contents.
The present container provides a sectional container that provides access to the container liquids that in most cases would be lost to individual consumers; especially with those containers having more heavier bodied liquids. The present container provides for an additional feature, a lid cover for said base container. Said cover is attached underneath the base containers bottom by a compression fitted (push on) assembly operation.
Previously, tamper evident closures as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,727 which issued to Consumer Cap Corporation, as well as many others provide for simple secure capping of a container at its opening. Thus these closure designs provide only secure tamper evident closure and the ability for temporary re-capping of the opening. The present container provides tamper evident closure and expands the realm of its design usage, by expanding the vessel to which it is applied. The present container takes the tamper evident closure feature and creates a new type of application, a connector for components; thus giving the realized container additional usage. The additional usage includes; not only the accessing of liquids, that would have otherwise been lost, but now the consumer has gained the use of a base and lid cover. A base and cover that can be re-filled (as consumers re-purchase new product) with additional liquids, which can be used in other rooms or for travel purposes. The resulting base and lid cover can be compared to the individual cream and lotion jars currently in the marketplace. While the presently preferred embodiment of the container or bottle is made with the use of plastics, other suitable materials maybe used. Such materials include, but are not limited to rubber, waterproof fabrics, collapsible metals, etc.
There are other groups of tamper evident closure assemblies that rely on different interlocking designs. They include threads, teeth and serrations in order to achieve closure assembly. Said closure designs; having these extending thread designs, with respect to cylindrical containers are adaptable and can be used with present container. The application with cylindrical containers and the present containers provide for an alternate attachment application design. These closures, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,727 to the Consumer Cap Corporation and many others illustrate possible thread designs. Thus by incorporation of such thread designs within the design and scope of present containers supplements its utility. Hence, the present container provides for a liquid tight seal as a result of the accurate sealing surfaces of its molding process and design, and thus expands its usage beyond simple round containers to the unlimited container shapes and sizes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn accordance with one embodiment, a sectional container with a detachable base and lid cover designed to receive a disclosed thumb actuated pump assembly. Sectional members are joined together by compression fitting sections using a mold integrated tamper evident closure member. The base is detachable by removing the frangible band and pulling the two sections apart. The inclusion of a detachable lid cover allows for the covering and protecting of liquids that remains in container when the primary dispensing function fails.
The invention provides a tightly sealed container capable of being separated into individual sections. In its assembled design, an upper section and a lower section, provides the function of a one piece container. When present container is sectionalized, the lower section provides consumers access to liquids that remain at the bottom of said containers. Thus, the present container gives those consumers who purchase body lotions and creams, the usage of liquids often discarded with the usage of prior designs. Consumers can realize some monetary savings within their healthcare budget with the usage of present invention.
In another embodiment of the container; a dual dispensing container is made possible by converting the upper section of the container into a separately enclosed unit. A second finger actuated pump assembly is attached to an additional mold incorporated neck, along with a channel that allows for extending the dip tube to the bottom of the lower section. This container design allows for dispensing liquids that consumers would use in a combination (i.e. hair conditioners & shampoo, facial scrubs & facial lotions, hand sanitizer & hand lotions, etc.). This novel container gives consumers the additional benefit of having two key healthcare products in one package and the ability to use either product without the need to physically handle products for usage, thus eliminating the possibility of one of the products slipping from your hands during usage.
Thus, the present invention uses the tamper evident closure attachment in an innovative manner; a connector, that opens up new opportunities of function. The closure assembly makes it virtually impossible to tamper with product contents without showing signs of tampering. A sectional container manufactured into three individual components and assembled together by compression fitting each together.
While I have shown and described several embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but is susceptible to numerous changes and modifications as known to a person skilled in the art, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described herein but intend to cover all such changes and modifications as are obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art.
As shown in
Referring to
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As can be seen in
Considering the separation of the container, as can be seen in
Outwardly spaced from the interior skirt 28 is the closure assembly outer skirt 36 which has a substantially vertical outer wall. Considering the inner wall of the closure assembly outer skirt 36, extending down from internal wall 26 is a substantially vertical top wall 38 of the length about equal to that of interior skirt 28, which terminates in an internal first bead 40. The outwardly slanted surface 42 of said bead 40 terminates at the horizontal tear groove 54. Horizontal tear line 54 merges with the slanted top surface 46 which intersects with the inclined lower surface 48 to form internal lower bead 44. As is best shown in
The exterior of upper neck 74; shown in
To separate the container of
Directing attention to the angled external surface 120 of said base 18, said angled external surface 120 slants inwardly and down to terminate at intersecting vertical wall 134. Horizontal shoulder 132 intersects with said wall 134 which extends to form a second external upper bead 130. Below said upper bead 130; extending down and inwardly, an outwardly slanted surface 128 intersects with a lower periphery vertical wall 126. Said lower wall 126 ends at the outwardly horizontal shoulder 124 which connects with the first vertical surface 122; creating lower first external bead 123. Vertical surface 122 extends to bottom disk 94. Said bottom disk 94 has a relative flat interior surface with no interior sealing walls.
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Referring to
The present invention; used in this alternate embodiment makes possible dual dispensing of two different liquids used in combination by consumers (hair conditioners & shampoo, facial scrubs & cream, or foaming cleansers & lotions, etc.). The said upper section 140 of present container design is molded to an increased width to accommodate an additional finger actuated pump assembly; there is a widening of the lower section (base) 142 which provides for additional liquid storage. A preferred placement of containers liquids would have the lower section (base) 142 contain the heavier bodied lotions while the upper section 140 would have the more fluid liquids (facial cleansers, sanitizing soaps, etc.).
Referring to
Referring to
Directing attention to
The exterior surface of the said lid cover 144 contains a vertical outside wall 182 that extends and intersects with slant surface 88, and intersects with vertical exterior surface 84. The said vertical surface 84 intersects with horizontal shoulder 82. The external neck bead 80 is formed just below horizontal shoulder 82 and above the horizontal sealing surface 66. The sealing surface 66 intersects with the vertical sealing surface 68 then intersects to form the bottom of lid cover 144.
Referring to
- Part Name
- 01. Presently preferred container
- 10. Upper section
- 12. Upper extending neck
- 14. Front product adhesive label
- 16. Rear product adhesive label
- 18. Lower container (base)
- 20. Lid cover
- 22. Blank
- 24. Internal angled wall
- 26. Planer surface
- 28. Interior skirt
- 30. Vertical outer wall
- 32. Inner sealing surface
- 34. Tapered edge
- 36. Closure assembly outer skirt
- 38. Vertical top wall
- 40. Internal first bead
- 42. Angled vertical wall
- 44. Internal lower bead
- Part Name
- 102. Outwardly slanted surface
- 104. Internal upper bead
- 105. Lower short gap
- 106. Upper short gap
- 108. Inclined upper surface
- 110. Horizontal tear line
- 112. Spiral tear groove
- 114. Top skirt edge
- 116. Frangible tear band
- 118. Traverse ridge
- 120. Angled external surface
- 122. First vertical surface
- 123. First external bead
- 124. Lower horizontal shoulder
- 126. Lower external vertical wall
- 128. Outwardly slanted surface
- 130. Second external bead
- 132. Upper horizontal shoulder
- 134. Intersecting vertical wall
- PART NAME
- 46. Slanted top surface
- 48. Inclined lower surface
- 50. Upper gap
- 52. Lower gap 139.
- 54. Horizontal tear line
- 56. Spiral Groove
- 58. Bottom skirt edge
- 60. Frangible tear band
- 62. Traverse ridge
- 64. In-turned top flange
- 66. Horizontal sealing surface
- 68. Vertical seal surface
- 70. Blank
- 72. Second vertical neck
- 74. Vertical neck
- 76. Angled surface
- 78. Thicken base wall
- 80. External neck bead
- 82. Upper horizontal shoulder
- 84. Vertical exterior surface
- PART NAME
- 135. Dual dispensing container
- 136. Disclosed finger actuated pump
- 138. Upper extending neck #1
- 139. Upper extending neck #2
- 140. Dual dispensing upper container
- 142. Dual dispensing lower section (base)
- 144. Dual dispensing lid cover
- 146. Front labels (dual)
- 148. Rear labels (dual)
- 150. Upper tamper evident closure (dual)
- 152. Lower tamper evident closure (dual)
- 154. Bottom surface of upper section
- 156. Disclosed finger actuated pump
- 158. Alternate base (snap-on lid cover)
- 160. Alternate lid cover (snap-on)
- 162. Screw in channel tube
- 164. Horizontal bottom surface
- 166. Vertical bottom wall
- 168. Horizontal bottom lip
- 170. Vertical external bead
- PART NAME
- 86. External neck bead
- 88. Upper slant surface
- 90. Lower horizontal surface
- 92. Lower vertical surface
- 94. Bottom disk
- 96. Vertical outer skirt
- 98. Short vertical wall
- 100. Internal lower bead
- PART NAME
- 172. Base bottom surface
- 174. Vertical short wall
- 176. Horizontal short lip
- 178. Vertical catch wall
- 180. Horizontal top surface
- 182. Vertical outside wall
- 184. Cover lid top surface
- 186. Downward extending neck
- 188. First upward extending neck
- 190. Second upward extending neck
Claims
1. A sectional bottle container, comprising:
- a hollow body container having a first upwardly extended neck being provided with coupling means for, and said hollow body container being adapted for, the connection thereto of a finger actuated pump assembly;
- a finger actuated pump assembly connected in operative relation to said first upwardly extended neck of said hollow body container whereby product contained in said hollow body container may be selectively dispensed by the manipulation of said finger actuated pump;
- a tamper evident tear-off closure band for separation of said hollow body container into two sections, an upper section and a lower section (base), said tear-off closure being molded as an integral part of said container;
- said sections of said hollow body container are individually molded and are assembled together by compression fitting each together, said upper section having integrated at its lowest edge a frangible band, with the lower section (base) having integrated at its upper edge an upwardly extending neck, wherein said upper section and said lower section are assembled together to provide for a liquid tight seal for said hollow body container;
- said hollow body container providing access to contents remaining after finger actuated pump fails to dispense all of its contents, is facilitated by the removal of the frangible band, wherein said upper section is separated from the lower section (base) by an upwardly pull of the upper section away from said lower section; wherein
- said upper section of said hollow body container having at its lowest edge an angled top wall, a peripheral outer skirt of substantially uniform thickness depending from the periphery of said top wall, said outer skirt being scored and weaken in a peripheral tear line extending down to the bottom edge of said outer skirt, a tamper evident band positioned peripherally and attached to lowest edge of said outer skirt, a tab attached at the bottom edge of said tamper evident band, said tab maybe integrated as a fold-over tab attached at end of said tear band, an upper internal peripheral bead on said outer skirt between said peripheral tear line and said top wall, a lower internal bead on said outer skirt below but adjacent to said peripheral tear line, both of said beads being interrupted in a series of gaps spaced around the periphery of said outer skirt and a short inner skirt depending from said top wall spaced inward from said outer skirt; whereby the removal of said tamper evident band; while in its assembled position, allows for the separation of the upper section from the lower section of the said container.
2. A detachable lower section (base) for a sectional bottle container, comprising:
- an upwardly extending neck, having an outer periphery with integrated beads formed to compression fit into a tamper evident closure member of the said upper container section, said integrated beads provide restraint and prevent said upper container section and said lower container section from separating out of their assembled position; said upwardly extending neck having a top flange with a flat horizontal upper most top edge, a first external neck bead, a second external neck bead vertically spaced from first bead, each of said neck beads having substantially horizontal shoulders on its lower edge; whereby the external neck beads provide mating horizontal sealing shoulders of the outer skirt of the upper section when assembled.
- A lower exterior set of beads peripheral to the bottom edge of the lower section (base), a first upwardly external bead, a second external bead vertically spaced upward from first bead, each of said beads having substantially horizontal shoulders, beads and shoulders sized and shaped identical to the said upper upward extending neck beads in a reversed orientation, each providing a restraining surface for the detachable lid cover.
3. A detachable lid cover for a sectional container, comprising:
- a detachable lid cover having a central bottom disk, a inner surface substantially smooth without an interior sealing skirt, a peripheral outer skirt of uniform thickness depending upward from periphery of said bottom disk, said outer skirt being scored and weakened by the horizontal tear groove extending to the top edge of said outer skirt, a first lower internal peripheral bead on said outer skirt between said bottom disk and said horizontal tear groove, a upper internal second bead on said outer skirt above but adjacent said horizontal tear groove, a tear tab projecting out from said top edge, said tear tab when gripped by fingers and pulled outwardly away from said base causing the skirt to tear along the horizontal tear groove; whereby said lid cover can be removed by tilting said lid cover off the container lower section.
- a detachable lid cover having said outer skirt, said horizontal tear groove and said internal upper and lower beads and said central bottom disk that provides for integral attachment of storage compartment, whereby additions items maybe contained.
4. A dual dispensing sectional container, comprising:
- a hollow body container having two upwardly extended necks being provided with coupling means for, and said hollow body container being adapted for, the connection thereto of two finger actuated pump assemblies;
- two finger actuated pump assemblies connected in operative relation to said upwardly extended necks of said hollow body container whereby product contained in said hollow body container may be selectively dispensed by the manipulation of said finger actuated pumps;
- a tamper evident tear-off closure band for separation of said hollow body container into two sections, an upper section and a lower section, said tear-off closure being formed as an integral part of said container;
- said sections of said hollow body container are individually molded and are assembled together by compression fitting each together, said upper section having integrated at its lowest exterior edge a downward extending neck, with the lower section having integrated at its upper edge a frangible tear band, wherein said upper section and said lower section are assembled together to provide for a liquid tight seal for said hollow body container;
- said hollow body container providing access to contents remaining after finger actuated pump fails to dispense all of its contents, is facilitated by the removal of the frangible tear band, wherein said upper section can be separated from the lower section by an upwardly pull of the upper section away from said lower section; wherein
- said upper section of said hollow body container having at its lowest edge an angled top wall, a downwardly extending neck, having an outer periphery with integrated beads formed to compression fit into a tamper evident closure member incorporated into the lower section, said integrated beads provide restraint and prevent said upper container section and said lower section from separating out of its assembled position; said downwardly extending neck having a top flange with a flat horizontal bottom edge, a first external neck bead, a second external neck bead vertically spaced from first bead, each of said neck beads having substantially horizontal shoulders on its upper edge, providing sealing surfaces for said beads.
- and said upper section of container having on its bottom surface and underneath, an integrated downwardly extending exterior neck; said exterior neck centrally aligned with one of the said upwardly extending necks integrated on the top surface of the said upper section, said exterior neck is externally threaded to receive a channel tube which extends internally to the top edge of said aligned neck, said channel is connected to said downwardly extending neck in a fluid-tight relation at said downwardly extending neck and at the said upwardly extending neck to which it is aligned, whereby a dip tube can be extended into the lower section of the assembled container.
5. A detachable base for the dual dispensing sectional container, comprising:
- a lower section (base), having at is upper most edge an angled top wall, a peripheral outer skirt of substantially uniform thickness depending from the periphery of the angle top wall, said outer skirt being scored and weaken in the peripheral tear line which extends down to the bottom edge of outer skirt, a tamper evident tear band positioned around the periphery and attached to the upper edge of outer skirt, a tear tab attached at the upper edge of the tamper evident tear closure, said tear tab maybe integrated as a fold-over tab attached at the end of said tear band, an upper internal peripheral bead on said outer skirt between the horizontal tear line and the top surface, a lower internal bead on the outer skirt below but adjacent to the horizontal tear line, both of the said beads being interrupted in a series of gaps spaced around the periphery of the outer skirt, and a short inner skirt depending from the top wall spaced inwardly from the outer skirt;
- said lower section (base), having integrated onto the lowest most exterior surface a single peripheral bead depending from the bottom edge of said base container; horizontally and above said periphery bead and approximately the same height of the said peripheral bead is a recessed wall which intersects and forms a horizontal flat top surface of the periphery bead, said horizontal shoulder and said bead provides for a restraining surface for the detachable lid cover; whereby said exterior bead provides for secure snap-on attachment of the detachable lid cover.
6. A detachable lid cover for a dual dispensing sectional container, comprising:
- a lid cover having a central top disk, a inner surface substantially smooth without an interior sealing skirt, a peripheral outer skirt of uniform thickness depending from periphery of said top disk, an upper internal peripheral bead on the top edge of the outer skirt, a horizontal shoulder just below the bottom edge of the said internal peripheral bead, a recessed wall between the upper internal peripheral bead and the said central top disk that forms a mating cavity for the peripheral exterior bead of the said base container, a downward extending short neck below the said central top disk and molded at its lowest edge a periphery exterior bead of the same size and shape of the said first exterior bead of the said upper section, whereby said lid cover can be removed by tilting said lid cover off the container base and attached to the top edge of said base container.
7. A dual dispensing container, comprising:
- a hollow body container having two upwardly extended necks being provided with coupling means for, and said hollow body container being adapted for, the connection thereto of two finger actuated pump assemblies;
- two finger actuated pump assemblies connected in operative relation to said upwardly extended necks of said hollow body container whereby product contained in said hollow body container may be selectively dispensed by the manipulation of said finger actuated pumps;
- a hollow body container having an upper section and a lower section (base) to form the container, a tamper evident tear-off closure band integrated to assembly said upper section and said lower section (base), said tear-off closure being formed as an integral part of said container, said tamper evident tear-off closure is molded to exclude a tear-off tab whereby eliminating separation of container by consumer.
- said sections of said hollow body container are individually molded and are assembled together by compression fitting each together, said upper section having integrated at its lowest exterior edge a downward extending neck, with the lower section having integrated at its upper edge a frangible tear band, wherein said upper section and said lower section are assembled together to provide for a liquid tight seal for said hollow body container;
- said upper section of said hollow body container having at its lowest edge an angled top wall, a downwardly extending neck, having an outer periphery with integrated beads formed to compression fit into a tamper evident closure member incorporated into the lower section, said integrated beads provide restraint and prevent said upper container section and said lower section from separating out of its assembled position; said downwardly extending neck having a top flange with a flat horizontal bottom edge, a first external neck bead, a second external neck bead vertically spaced from first bead, each of said neck beads having substantially horizontal shoulders on its upper edge, providing sealing surfaces for said beads.
- and said upper section of container having on its bottom surface and underneath, an integrated downwardly extending exterior neck; said exterior neck centrally aligned with one of the said upwardly extending necks integrated on the top surface of the said upper section, said exterior neck is externally threaded to receive a channel tube which extends internally to the top edge of said aligned neck, said channel is connected to said downwardly extending neck in a fluid-tight relation at said downwardly extending neck and at the said upwardly extending neck to which it is aligned, whereby a dip tube can be extended into the lower section of the assembled container.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 30, 2010
Publication Date: May 12, 2011
Patent Grant number: 8857636
Inventor: John Lewis Sullivan (Harrisburg, NC)
Application Number: 12/799,714
International Classification: B65D 1/02 (20060101); B65D 51/00 (20060101);